Christodoulides ran as an unbiased candidate and had the backing of centrists and centre-right events.
Cyprus’s former International Minister Nikos Christodoulides has been elected president of the nation, turning into its youngest chief at 49.
Christodoulides gained 51.9 % of the vote within the run-off that passed off on Sunday, edging out the communist-backed candidate, Andreas Mavroyiannias, who obtained 48.8 %.
He’ll take up his new function on March 1.
Christodoulides ran as an unbiased candidate and had the backing of centrists and centre-right events that often had hardline stances on fixing decades-old divisions within the island nation.
That is the primary time ever {that a} candidate has gained the presidency with out having the backing of two of probably the most distinguished political teams, the conservative DISY and the communist AKEL.
In his profitable speech, Christodoulides mentioned: “I look you within the eyes and offer you a promise – I’ll do the whole lot to be worthy of your belief.”
Who’s Christodoulides ?
Christodoulides has incessantly been within the public eye for his persona of a younger, energetic politician providing new concepts previously decade.
He launched his diplomatic profession in 1999, climbing up the ranks till he grew to become international minister for the right-wing President Nicos Anastasiades in 2018. He give up that place in June to affix the presidential race.
Christodoulides, who was already reportedly favoured by Anastasiades, wanted votes from the DISY however prompted fissures throughout the occasion after its chief, Averof Neofytou, was knocked out within the first spherical of polls final week.
Whereas the DISY would often inform members to again the candidate operating in opposition to the communist occasion, Christdoulides was hated by many within the occasion and seen as a “traitor” who put ambition over the wants of the occasion and nation.
However this left the presidential race open for Christodoulides to win probably the most votes.
What’s his political background?
Christodoulides studied in Malta and New York earlier than getting a doctorate in political science from the College of Athens.
He has promised to take a “zero-tolerance” method to corruption following a cash-for-passports scandal that marred the earlier administration, which he was a part of.
Because the international minister, he didn’t take a transparent stance on Russian sanctions because of the invasion of Ukraine, which led to many criticising his “pro-Moscow” stance.
What’s his stance on peace talks?
Because the 1974 Turkish invasion, Cyprus has been break up by ethnicity, with Greek and Turkish Cypriots residing on both facet of a United Nations-patrolled ceasefire border.
Christodoulides has beforehand thought of that the principle issues going through Cypriots had been “the price of residing and housing, immigration and the Cyprus drawback”, referring to these divisions within the nation.
The final spherical of peace talks collapsed in mid-2017.
Christodoulides says he desires to renew talks however {that a} UN framework governing discussions ought to be renegotiated. He has, nonetheless, lengthy taken a hawkish stance on peace talks.
He has mentioned he’s open to forming alliances with excessive proper events like ELAM, the ultranationalists who completed fourth within the election.
